A Northland Regional Council resource consent covers water, discharges, rivers, wetlands and the coast across Northland. If your project drills a bore, discharges wastewater or stormwater, works in a stream, or builds in the coastal marine area, you may need an NRC resource consent as well as, or instead of, consent from FNDC. We work out which council you need and prepare the applications together.
NRC applies the Regional Plan for Northland. If an activity is not permitted by that plan, you need a regional resource consent. These are the activities that most often bring Far North property owners to NRC.
Constructing or altering a bore generally needs NRC consent. Taking the groundwater may need a water permit too, depending on where the bore is, how much you take and what you use it for.
The discharge from a septic or treated wastewater system is permitted if it meets the regional plan conditions. If it does not, because of soils, slope or distance to water, you need a discharge permit. A TP58 wastewater assessment from our partner Gumboots shows which applies.
Diverting or discharging stormwater, or diverting a stream, can need a regional consent. This often comes up with subdivisions, new driveways and large roof or paved areas.
Culverts, bridges and other work in the bed of a river or lake need NRC consent unless a regional rule permits them. Earthworks, vegetation clearance and drainage near a natural wetland also fall under national freshwater rules, which NRC enforces.
A wharf, jetty, boat ramp, mooring or seawall in the coastal marine area usually needs a coastal permit. You must circulate the application to customary marine title applicants before you lodge it.
Large earthworks, earthworks near waterways, and clearing significant vegetation, including mangroves, can need regional consent. NRC advises keeping open earthworks to a minimum from May to September, and some consents ban earthworks in that window.
Northland Regional Council and Far North District Council apply different plans to different parts of the same project. Knowing which council handles what tells you how many consents you need.
| FNDC (district) | NRC (regional) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Far North District Council | Northland Regional Council |
| Area | Far North District only | All of Northland, including the Far North, Whangārei and Kaipara |
| Plan it applies | Far North District Plan (2009 operative and the Proposed District Plan) | Regional Plan for Northland |
| What it controls | Land use, including where buildings go and how big they are, earthworks under district rules, and subdivision | Water, discharges, river and lake beds, wetlands, the coastal marine area |
| Consent types | Land use consent, subdivision consent | Water permit, discharge permit, coastal permit, regional land use consent |
| Typical triggers | Setbacks, height, coverage, coastal and landscape overlays, new lots | Bores, water takes, wastewater, stormwater, culverts, jetties, moorings |
| How long it lasts | No expiry once given effect to, but they lapse if not used within 5 years unless the consent sets a longer period | Water, discharge and coastal permits can be granted for up to 35 years |
| Ongoing costs | Usually none once the work is done, unless conditions require monitoring | Annual charges, plus monitoring charges on some consents |
On the coast, NRC manages the coastal marine area below mean high water springs, and FNDC manages land use above it. Discharges, earthworks and vegetation clearance above that line can still need NRC consent. For the district side, see FNDC resource consent.
When a project needs FNDC and NRC consent, the applications can be lodged and processed at the same time. A notified project can have one joint hearing.
What happens from first question to consent conditions
We check your project against the Regional Plan for Northland and the district plan, so you know which councils you need before paying for reports.
NRC needs an application form and an assessment of environmental effects (AEE). We write the AEE and coordinate any specialist reports, such as wastewater or stormwater design.
You pay a minimum initial fee at lodgement. NRC invoices any processing cost above it. A non-notified consent is decided within 20 working days, and the clock stops while NRC waits for further information.
You must meet the conditions, keep any required records such as water use returns, and pay NRC's annual charge for the consent.
The Planning Act 2026 and Natural Environment Act 2026 received Royal assent on 30 September 2026 and will replace the Resource Management Act. A transition period of up to four years started on 30 October 2026. During it, new resource consent applications are still processed under the amended RMA, and the current district and regional plans still apply. We track the changes so your application is assessed under the right rules.
Common questions about consent from Northland Regional Council
Northland Regional Council issues resource consents for taking and using water, discharging to land, water or air, work in the beds of rivers and lakes, some earthworks and vegetation clearance, and structures and activities in the coastal marine area. If an activity is not permitted by the Regional Plan for Northland, it needs an NRC resource consent.
Not always. Discharging treated domestic wastewater to land is a permitted activity under the Regional Plan for Northland if the system meets the plan's conditions. If it does not, for example because of the site's soils, slope or distance to water, you need a discharge permit from NRC. A TP58 wastewater assessment shows which applies.
Generally, yes. Northland Regional Council requires resource consent to construct or alter a bore. Taking the groundwater may need a separate consent too, depending on the location, the quantity and how you use the water.
Usually, yes. Building a wharf, jetty or boat ramp, placing a mooring, or building a seawall in the coastal marine area needs a coastal permit from Northland Regional Council. You must also circulate the application to customary marine title applicants before lodging it.
Far North District Council applies the district plan and issues land use and subdivision consents in the Far North District. Northland Regional Council applies the Regional Plan for Northland and issues consents for water, discharges, river and lake beds, wetlands and the coast across the whole region. One project can need consent from both.
Water permits, discharge permits and coastal permits can be granted for up to 35 years. NRC usually charges consent holders an annual charge to administer the consent, and some consents carry monitoring charges as well.
Sources: NRC, do I need a consent?, NRC consent application process, Planning and Natural Environment Bills and Regional Plan for Northland. This page is general guidance, so check your own site before you start work.
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